Wednesday, April 09, 2014

SAM Simulator

Red Door Blue Key has one of the most fascinating interviews I've ever read with a game developer. In this case, the developer is "Hpasp" , and his game is SAM Simulator. Here's a description:There is no more accurate, demanding, or unlikely simulator available today than SAM Simulator, which recreates in exacting detail vintage Warsaw Pact surface-to-air missile systems.
Oh, yes. More:He created SAM Simulator in 2006 and has been offering it for free since 2009. Over the years he’s expanded the game with new missile platforms, major features like Google Earth integration, and historical scenarios ranging from Hanoi to Tripoli. If you want to spend an evening trying to bag Gary Powers’ U2 spy plane, defending Vietnamese airspace from B-52 bombers, or cursing the cheap Soviet engineer who saddled your Shilka with analogue gauges and a mechanical “computer,” SAM Simulator is simply the only game in town.
The screenshots display a level of obsession to detail that I have rarely, if ever, seen in a game. They are pitch perfect, incredible reproductions. I don't want to leech off Phil's article, so I'm not showing them here, but hit the "interviews" link up top to have your mind blown.

Do I have time to play this? Hell, no. Do I want to play it? Hell, yes. What an incredible piece of work!